Independent curator
The Mancunian Way, Humberto Velez. 2004 photo Len Grant
curator Alison Kershaw
My work as a curator has developed from my practice of working closely with other artists in specific locations –swimming pools, community centres, garden sheds…..
Curating has always been present in my practice since I helped organise exhibitions after graduating at Falmouth. The first project was at St Mawes Castle, followed by an exhibition of work by artists with learning disabilities at Falmouth School of Art Gallery.
Some of my curatorial work has been based in and around The Victoria Baths in Manchester, where in 2000 I undertook an artist-in-residence project, working with artists from local project Pool Arts. We created a collaborative series of site related works.
I became increasingly interested in how other artists might approach the building and started to enable artists' projects to take place there. This led to a series of projects 2002-2007, including working on commissions and developing exhibitions with Humberto Velez, Tod Hanson, Claudia Pilsl, Ellie Harrison, Joanna Karolini, Lizzie Hughes, Mishka Henner & Liz Lock, Zoe Walker & Neil Bromwich, Michael Pinsky and Stephanie Gill. I have also worked on projects with Ad Lib, Small Things and other local arts organisations.
I am now looking at expanding my curatorial work into other sites and situations. My most recent project was I don’t know about Community Networks, but I know what I like based here in Manchester and working with some of the North West’s most interesting contemporary artists. This project was ultimately shown as ONE AND ALL at Castlefield Gallery in 2009
